British box office and distribution company Picturehouse has promoted Sarah Frayn to managing director of its distribution division, Picturehouse Entertainment.
This is part of a wider leadership change at Picturehouse, which is owned by Cineworld, with Claire Binns, Picturehouse’s managing director of cinema and entertainment, moving into a part-time role as creative director.
Frein has worked at Picturehouse for 15 years, most recently as director of marketing and distribution.
Picturehouse said Binns will continue to provide expertise across all areas of the group and work on film acquisitions alongside head of acquisitions James Brown and acquisitions manager Julia Trawinska.
Co-founder Lynn Goleby, who returned to the company earlier this year, will be in charge of the exhibition side of the business as chairman.
focus on distribution
Mr. Frein has been involved in both exhibition and distribution during his time at Picture House, but plans to focus on the distribution department from now on.
She has overseen the marketing and branding of Picturehouse Cinemas, including the opening of six cinemas, including the flagship Picturehouse Central, while managing the film’s release strategy across the UK. She also contributed to the box office success of films distributed by Picturehouse. Autumn Anatomy, Last Showgirl, Presenceand was recently nominated for BIFA Sea urchin.
Last year, Picturehouse announced plans to move into film financing. Picture House said Frein will lead Picture House Entertainment’s operations “with a focus on the company’s diverse slate, continuing to expand into English-language crossover titles while nurturing debut filmmakers and author-led projects,” with plans to “build a robust content library and strengthen production capabilities.”
Javier Sotomayor, president of Cineworld International, said: “[Sarah’s]deep understanding of the industry and commercial acumen make her a valuable addition to our team. We look forward to working strategically with her as we develop our distribution activities in the UK and take advantage of new growth opportunities.”
Binns said, “I know that under her leadership, Distribution will go from strength to strength. Although I remain deeply involved in acquisitions, I am excited to step back with Sarah taking over the reins.”
Mr Frain said: “Together with my talented team, I look forward to continuing to push the creative boundaries, delivering high quality and innovative work and supporting the industry’s emerging talent. My aim is to build on our strong foundations and further position Picturehouse as an ambitious and exciting company in the British film industry.”
(Tag translation) Distribution
